Inking machine



Feb. 4, 1941. DlXON 2,230,377

INKING MACHINE Filed March 22, 1938 2 Sheets- Sheet l P.'H. DIXON mxme MACHINE Filed March 22, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Patented Feb. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IN KING MACHINE- Jersey Application March 22, 1938, Serial No. 197,448

30 Claims.

This invention relates to coating machines and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine for applying a coating of ink to the peripheral edge of a shoe sole.

Since the soles of shoes are commonly trimmed after they are applied to the shoe, it is customary to coat the edges of these soles thereafter with a colored stain, sometimes called blacking, so that the periphery of the sole will correspond in appearance to the adjacent upper margin of the sole. The inks which are employed for this purpose commonly contain wax and pigment and it is necessary that they be agitated frequently in order to maintain a uniform consistency and color.

One of the commonest ways of applying ink for this purpose is to do it manually, with the assistance of a small brush which has been dipped in the liquid. The quantity of ink required is small and when it is attempted to perform the application by a machine, difficulty is encountered in so applying this ink that it will be uniformly distributed along the length of the sole edge and in sufiicient quantity to produce a film of the desired thickness in a single treatment of the work without applying such a quantity that adjacent surfaces of the work may become soiled.

Accordingly, one important object of the invention is to provide an improved machine by which the desired uniform results may be obtained without the exercise of skill on the part of the operator. In view of the need for continually stirring the ink and the fact that only a small quantity of ink is needed, the invention provides, in accordance with one important feature, an organization in which a movable agitator effectively prevents settling out of pigment in the ink and is also operative to lift small, discrete quantities of ink intermittently from the supply receptacle for delivery to an applying member. As illustrated, one side of the receptacle has an inclined face in contact with which there travels a driven agitator blade preferably constructed with a projecting lip which co-operates with the blade to hold-small, discrete quantities of ink so that it may be swept up this inclined face and allowed to flow over into an adjacent shallow trough, from which the ink is delivered to the applying member.

It has been found that a uniform application of ink to the surface to be treated may well be e-fiected by an impression or marking operation as, for example, by a freely rotatable applying roll to which the work is presented manually so that the roll is rotated by movement of the work in contact therewith. Another feature of the invention resides in a construction of this roll whereby the ink is uniformly applied to the work and variations in transverse contour of the sole edge are accommodated. As illustrated, part of the width of the applying roll is made of metal having a saw-toothed, ink-carrying periphery so that the traversing movement of the work will cause the roll to be turned without slippage as it applies ink to the sole edge. The balance of the width of the roll is constructed of a rubberlike material which may yield to accommodate different contours and which preferably is provided with a series of transverse elongated pockets delivering ink to the sole edge.

In order to provide a uniform supply of ink in small quantities without clogging, the machine provides, in accordance with other features of the invention, for the application of ink to the applying roll by a pad of sponge rubber, for example. As shown, this spongy material is intermittently compressed. As illustrated also, ink is transferred from the shallow trough to the top of the spongy material through an upwardly inclined passage of small dimensions, such that the movement of the ink is effected by capillary action. Clogging of this passage is avoided by intermittently lifting a block forming the upper half of the passage by a cam actuated by the rotation of the applying roll and the capillary action is accentuated by such movement of the blocks. This same block is utilized for intermittently compressing the sponge.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood from a consideration of th following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an angular elevation of the complete machine; i

Fig. 2 is an axial section through the applying roll, on an enlarged scale, showing the shank of a sole engaging the same;

Fig. 2A is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 2 and showing the forepart of a sole engaging the roll;

Fig. 3 is an end view of a ring of rubber-like material, forming part of the roll, with a portion broken away to show the pockets therein;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the receptacle and the applying roll, taken along the axis of the latter and along the axis of the agitator;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the applying roll and the liquid-feeding mechanism;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 5, as viewed from the left, certain end section on the line IXIX a post I2 supported on a pedestal I4, and an operator will present pieces of work, such as a womans shoe IS, the outline of which is indicated by dash lines in Fig. 1, to cause successive parts of the peripheral edge I8 (Figs. 2 and 2A) of the sole 20 thereof tocontact the under side of an applying roll 22 which is freely rotatable on a stud 24.

Supported on the frame I0 is a receptacle 30 having a cover 3I (Fig. l) and a side wall, the

inner face 34 of which is inclined at an angle of about forty-five degrees to the horizontal so that, as shown in Fig. 4, its bottom edge 36 lies beneath the level of any fluid contained in the receptacle, no matter how small the quantity may be. Adjacent to the upper edge 38 of this face, a shallow trough 40 is formed, into which small quantities of ink are deposited by the action of an agitator blade 42. This blade is mounted on the lower end of a shaft 44 supported in a bearing in the frame and driven, about an axis normal to the face 34, through a belt 46 from a pulley 48, to which power is supplied from any desired source. The receptacle 30 is supported on the frame by dowe1 pins 50 (Fig. 4) and screws having wing heads 52.

The long, under edge of the agitator blade 42 lies in rubbing contact with the inclined face 34 and each end of the blade has a bent portion 54 and a co-operating lip 56 (Fig. 8). The under edges of these portions 54 and 56 fit closely and scrape against the inner surface of an annular portion 58 surrounding the side wall 32 of the receptacle at an angle thereto and, as a result, small portions of the liquid are trapped in a pocket formed between the bent ends 54 and the co-operating lips 56, as may be seen from an inspection of Fig. 8, so that the agitator serves to lift successive small, discrete quantities so long as any liquid remains in the receptacle and to transfer them to the shallow trough 40, thereby causing the liquid to flow over into the trough as the agitator is rotated. This keeps the trough full of liquid at all times and any surplus runs back over the edge 38 into the receptacle.

At the front edge of the receptacle, adjacent to the trough 40, a channel-shaped casting 60 is attached by screws 62. The inclined bottom surface 64 of this casting is, at one end, at the level of the bottom surface of the trough 40 and, at its higher end, communicates with a vertical chamber 66 directly above the applying roll 22. This chamber is filled with a resilient, absorbent or spongy material 68, such as sponge rubber or the like, which, at its lower end, rests on the upper surface of the applying roll and is held in position by an end plate 10 having a curved lower edge I2 (Figs. 1 and 2) slightly overlapping the upper front edge of the applying roll. The plate I0 is held on the front end of the channel casting 60 by screws I4 and, attached to it by a single screw I6, is a finger I8 which bears against the end of the applying roll to hold it in position on the shaft 24.

Turning now to the construction of the applying row 22, best shown in Figs. 2, 3 and partly in Fig. '7, it will be seen that this comprises a metal portion 82 and a yielding annulus 94 which cooperate to coat adjacent parts of the width of a sole edge, as shown in Fig. 2A. The sawtoothed metallic portion 82 is formed at one end of a sleeve and the teeth 84 of thismetal portion are sharp so that they will have a good bite in the work and insure a turning of the applying roll without slippage as the work is traversed beneath the applying roll In order to insure the inking of any curved portion, such as the shank portion of the sole, which is shown at I8 in Fig. 2, these teeth have prongs 88 overhanging the upper side of the sole edge to be inked. A cover plate 90 is fitted into the end of the annular metal portion 82 and has a thin disk-like edge 92 coinciding with the ends of the prongs 88. This plate stops the ink from moving axially of the roll to soil the upper of the shoe. Adjacent to the metal portion 82 and surrounding the sleeve 80 is an annulus 94, slightly larger in diameter than the portion 82 for firm contact with the work, and of rubber-like material which may conveniently be neoprene or any such other rubber substitute as will satisfactorily resist the chemical action of the ingredients of the ink and at the same time have sufiicient mechanical strength to wear well under such abrasive action as occurs by reason of the contact of the edge of a leather sole therewith, such as the forepart portion shown in Fig. 2A. This annulus 04 is flexible enough to accommodate various edge profiles created by specially shaped edge-trimming cutters, and its yieldability is increased without making the ring too flabby by providing it with one or more annular inner ribs 96 narrower than the annulus 94. In the periphery of this annulus 94 are formed transverse pockets 98 for receiving ink from the spongy material 68 and applying it to the work (Fig. 2A). The pockets 98 are limited by end flanges I 00 formed integrally with the annulus 94. This annulus 94 is removably mounted on the sleeve 80 and is held in position thereon by a cam-carrying sleeve I02 in tight frictional contact with the sleeve 80. The sleeve I02 has cam projections I04, for a purpose which will later appear, and the whole assembly is slipped over the end of the stud 24 and abuts a flange I06 thereon, being held in this position by the finger I8. This stud 24 is held in a depending flange I08 on the channel casting'60 by a nut I I0, Leakage of the ink from the vertical chamber 66 is prevented by packing strips I I2 mounted beneath the cover plate I0 in recesses formed in the end of the channel casting 60 and held therein by dowel pins 'I I4;

The transfer of ink from the shallow trough 40 to the chamber 66 along the inclined surface 64 is effected with the assistance of a block I20 having a shallow groove I22 in its lower surface of such proportions that the transfer of ink through this groove is effected by capillary action. This block I20 is capable of being moved up and down in the channel formed in the casting 60 (Fig. 9), being guided by lateral ribs I24 which contact the sides of the channel and prevent leakage past the block. Any ink which inadvertently passes the lower rib I24 Will run between the ribs and back into the trough 40. It is found desirable to rock this block I20 for two reasons, to Wit, so that it may be used to intermittently compress the spongy material 68 and, also, so that it may be slightly separated from the inclined surface 64 to accentuate the capillary action and to prevent clogging of the passage formed by the groove I22 by reason of any wax contained in the ink. Accordingly, provision is made for rocking this block I about its lower right-hand corner, as viewed in Fig. 4, thus enlarging the space between the upper end of the block I20 and the channel casting 60, whereupon ink will be sucked from the trough 49 more than from the spongy material 68. The left-hand end of the block I20 is lifted intermittently by the action of the cams I04 on a plate I26 (Fig. 9) attached to the block I20 by a screw I28. Opposing the action of the cams and urging the block I20 into the channel of the casting 60 is a spring-pressed plunger I30 contained in a casing I32 forming the head of a yoke, the side legs I34 of which are provided with hook-shaped ends I36 engaging studs I38 in the channel member 60. A spring I40 surrounding the plunger I39 and bearing against a flange thereon is held under compression by a screw plug I42 threaded in the casing I32. The lower end of the plunger I30 seats in a cup-like depression formed in the upper surface of the block I28.

In using the machine, assuming that the receptacle 30 has been filled and power has been provided for rotating the shaft 44 carrying the agitator blade 42, the ink will be transferred to the shallow trough 40, thus maintaining a small supply in this trough at a constant level. From the trough, the ink will creep up the capillary groove I22 to the upper surface of the sponge 68 which, as it becomes saturated, will supply the upper surface of the applm'ng member under the repeated squeezing action of the block I20. The operator will then present the edge of a sole to the lower surface of the applying member 22 and, moving the shoe, will cause the whole desired length of the periphery of the sole to be presented thereto. This applying member 22 will be frictionally rotated by the bite in the work of the toothed metal roll 82 and ink, filling the pockets of that roll and the pockets 98 of the yieldable annulus 94, will be rolled or pressed on the edge of the sole.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a coating machine, an applying member, a receptacle, and an agitator movable in said receptacle constructed and arranged simultaneously to agitate the contents of the receptacle and to co-operate with a surface of the receptacle to lift small, discrete quantities of ink for delivery to the applying member.

2. In a coating machine, a receptacle, an applying member fixed in relation thereto, the bottom of said receptacle being lower than said applying member, and an agitator movable in. said receptacle constructed and arranged simultaneously to co-operate with a surface of the receptacle to lift small, discrete quantities of coating material to a level where they will flow over the edge of the receptacle for delivery to an upper portion of the applying member.

3. In an inking machine, an applying member, a receptacle, and an agitator in said receptacle constructed and arranged to raise discrete quantities of ink from the lower part of the receptacle to an upper level for supply to the applying member, said agitator being movable in contact with an inner face of the receptacle.

4. In an inking machine, a receptacle, a bracket fixed to the same, an applying member journaled on said bracket, a trough formed on said receptacle above the level of the bottom of the applying member, means including an intermittently operated ink advancing member constructed to move ink from the trough to an upper part of the applying member, and driven means for lifting small quantities of ink from the receptacle for deposit in said trough.

5. In an inking machine, an applying member, a receptacle, a trough associated with said receptacle and from which ink may be supplied to the applying member, said receptacle having a face one edge of which is adjacent to said trough and another edge of which lies beneath the ink in the receptacle, and a power-driven member in scraping contact with said face for carrying quantities of ink from the receptacle up the face to spill over into said trough.

6. In an inking machine, an applying member, a trough from which ink may be delivered to said applying member, a receptacle associated with said trough and having an inclined face the upper part of which is adjacent to an edge of the trough and the lower part of which lies beneath the ink in the receptacle, and a rotatable member scraping along said face to lift ink from the receptacle and deposit it in the trough.

7. In an inking machine, an applying member, a trough from which ink may be delivered to said applying member, a receptacle associated with said trough and having an inclined face the upper part of which is adjacent toan edge of the trough and the lower part of which lies beneath the ink in the receptacle, and a member rubbing along said face to lift ink from the receptacle and deposit it in the trough, said rubbing member being rotatable about an axis substantially normal to said face.

8. In an inking machine, an applying member, a trough from which ink may be delivered to said applying member, a receptacle associated with said trough and having an inclined face the upper part of which is adjacent to an edge of the trough and the lower part of which dips in the ink in the receptacle, and a rotary blade rubbing along said face to lift ink from the receptacle and deposit it in the trough, said blade being provided with a lip for co-operation with the blade to assist in carrying a quantityo-f ink up the face for delivery to said trough.

9. In an edge-inking machine, an applying roll of flexible material, said roll being provided with transversely extending pockets formed by peripheral transverse partitions between end flanges, and resilient means supporting said pocketed roll.

10. In an edge-inking machine, a resilient applying roll having a body portion provided with end flanges thereby defining a peripheral groove, transverse partitions extending from one end flange to the other to subdivide said groove into pockets, and an integral internal rib sup-- porting said pocketed portion of the roll.

11. In an edge-inking machine, a supporting member, and an applying roll of flexible material carried by said supporting member, said applying roll having an inner rib narrower than the roll between the roll and the supporting member.

12. In an edge-inking machine, an applying roll having a notched periphery thereby providing teeth between the notches, said teeth being provided with prongs adapted to overhang one side of the edge to be inked.

13. In an edge-inking machine, a freely rotatable applying roll comprising an annular member provided with a notched periphery, said roll having a cover plate closing said annular member and provided with a. thin edge positioned at one end of the notched periphery.

14. In an edge-inking machine, a freely rotatable applying roll comprising a flexible portion for coating part of the width of the edge tobe inked and a rigid portion for coating the remainder of the edge to be inked, said rigid portion having sharp teeth to bite the work and to facilitate continuous rotation of the roll by the work as the latter is moved progressively in contact with the roll.

15. In a coating machine, an applying member, said machine being provided with an openended chamber adjacent to the periphery of the applying member, absorbent material completely filling said chamber, one end of the absorbent material being adapted to deliver coating material to said applying member, and means for supplying coating material to the other end of the absorbent material.

16. In an inking machine, an applying member, said machine being provided with a chamber above the applying member, spongy material in said chamber contacting with the upper periphery of said applying roll, and means for supplying ink to the spongy material.

17. In a coating machine, a frame having a chamber for receiving coating material, an applying member rotatable on said frame having a. portion exposed for the presentation of Work thereto and another portion receiving coating material from said chamber, resilient absorbent material in the chamber, and means for intermittently compressing said absorbent material to force coating material intocontact with the applying member.

18. In an inking machine, a frame, an applying member rotatable thereon, said frame having an ink-receiving chamber above the applying member, spongy material in the chamber, and means for intermittently compressing said material to supply the applying member.

19. In a coating machine, a frame, a receptacle for coating material supported thereon, an applying member mounted on the frame and having a portion exposed for presentation of work thereto, means for partially elevating coating material from the receptacle, and a capillary passage for completing the elevation of the material from the receptacle and supplying it to the applying member, said capillary passage being operative independently of and subsequent to said means.

20. In an inking machine, a frame, an applying member thereon, said frame having a trough from which ink may be supplied to the applying member, said frame being recessed to provide a chamber above the applying member, spongy material in said chamber, means for transferring ink from the trough to the spongy material, and means for intermittently pressing the spongy material to transfer ink to the applying member.

21. In an inking machine, a frame, a receptacle supported thereon, an applying member rotatable on the frame, means for partially transferring the ink from said receptacle to the applying member, and a capillary passage for completing the transfer of the ink from said receptacle to said applying member, said capillary passage being operative independently of and subsequent to said means.

22. In an inking machine, a frame, an applying member mounted thereon, an ink-supplying receptacle, means comprising a capillary passage constructed and arranged to elevate ink from said receptacle for delivery to said applying member, and means for varying the size of the passage to accentuate the capillary action.

23. In an inking machine, a frame, an applying member thereon, an ink absorbent sponge in contact with the applyin member, an inksupplying trough, walls, one of which is movably mounted and contacts said sponge providing a capillary passage for elevating ink from said trough for delivery to said ink absorbent sponge, and means for intermittently moving said wall to compress said sponge.

24. In an inking machine, a frame, an applying member rotatable thereon, an ink-supplying trough, means including a movable wall and constructed and arranged to provide a capillary passage extending upwardly from said trough to a point above the applying member whereby the ink is fed from the trough to the applying member, and means for moving said passage forming wall to avoid the clogging of the passage.

25, In an inking machine, a frame, an applying member rotatable thereon, an ink-supplying trough, means providing a capillary passage extending upwardly from said trough to a point above the applying member, said means comprising a movable member forming one side of the capillary passage, and means for intermittently moving said movable member away fromtsaid passage-providing means and returnmg i 26. In an inking machine, a frame, an applying member rotatable thereon, an ink-supplying trough, said frame being provided with an upwardly inclined surface leading from the trough to a point above the applying member, a tiltably mounted member co-operating with said surface to form a capillary passage, and means for intermittently lifting the end of the tiltable member which is above the applying member.

27. In an inking machine, a frame, an applying roll rotatably mounted on the frame, an ink-supplying trough, an inclined surface leading from said trough upwardly to a point above the applying member, a movably mounted member co-operating with said surface to provide a capillary passage, resilient means for holding the end of the movable member which is adjacent to the trough against the surface, and means for intermittently lifting the other end of the member a limited distance which does not interfere with a continuance of the capillary action.

28. In an inking machine, a frame provided with a trough, an applying roll rotatably mounted on the frame with its lower surf-ace exposed for presentation of the work thereto, spongy material positioned above the applying roll, said frame having a surface inclined upwardly from the trough to a point adjacent to the spongy material, a grooved member positioned above said surface and coacting therewith to provide a capillary passage, and means associated with said roll for intermittently tilting said member to press the sponge and to slightly increase the passage.

29. In an edge-inking machine, a frame, an applying member freely rotatable on said frame, said applying member comprising an annular member having a notched periphery and a cover plate closing said annular member and provided with a thin edge positioned at one end of the notched periphery, a chamber above said applying member, means for delivering ink through said chamber to said applying member, :and a removable end plate for said chamber having a curved edge overlying the upper portion of the cover plate of the applying member.

30. In an edge-inking machine, a frame, an applying roll freely rotatable on the frame and comprising a rigid applying portion having a projecting sleeve, a resilient applying portion surrounding said sleeve, a cam surrounding the sleeve and rotatable with the applying member, means for supplying ink to said applying member and comprising a capillary passage, a tiltably mounted member forming one side of said passage, and means associated with the cam on the applying member for moving said tiltable member.

PAUL H. DIXON. 

